ANIMALS culled to combat the foot and mouth epidemic could be dumped within a mile of one of Britain's top dairy herds.
The Whitehead tip at Astley, which is less than a mile from farmer Ian Patrick's Garrett Hall herd at Tyldesley, is on stand-by to accept animal carcasses for burial.
Mr Patrick said: "It's under a mile from here. We haven't been told about this and I wouldn't be totally happy with it.
"I don't think carcasses should be tipped and buried alongside other waste. It should be done at a site which has been specially prepared for that purpose."
But Astley beef cattle breeder John Kirkham, of Morleys Hall Farm on the outskirts of Leigh, said he was more concerned about the general traffic which used the road to the Astley landfill site from the A580 East Lancashire Road.
Mr Kirkham said: "Having carcasses tipped here is probably something we would sooner didn't happen. But if there was any doubt about the safety of using the tip site at Astley I am sure the authorities wouldn't allow it. If carcasses pass through here they would be in air sealed containers which would be steamed out after the carcasses were dumped." But Mr Kirkham added: "Every day wagons pass within 50 yards of my farm which come from all parts of the country. The foot and mouth virus is a kind of flu and it travels on the air."
This week members of Astley Green Village Committee met delegates from tip operators Viridor to discuss concerns about the landfill operation.
Committee secretary Ingrid Berry, who chaired the meeting, said: "For an hour and a half Viridor listened to our concerns about problems.
Concerns
"Then when we raised the question about the tip being used for foot and mouth carcases, they handed out prepared statements."
Viridor spokesman Dan Cooke said: "We are aware of the concerns in the community and are working to assist the Government and farmers to ensure swift, safe and efficient disposal of these materials.
"All the operations are being controlled in line with strict protocol which has been set down by MAFF, the Environment Agency, Army, Government and waste industry."
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